Hospital-based emergency department visits with oral candidiasis in the USA

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the number of hospital Emergency Department (ED) visits with a diagnosis of oral candidiasis for the year 2007 in the USA and to identify the comorbid conditions associated with it.

Study design: The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) for 2007 was employed in this study. Patients who visited the ED with a diagnosis of oral candidiasis were selected, and the estimates were projected to the national levels using the discharge weights. Presence of comorbid conditions in these patients was also determined.

Results: A total of 249,092 ED visits had oral candidiasis. Most of the patients belonged to the lower socioeconomic strata. Patients presented with a wide range of comorbid conditions and a large percentage of the patients were subsequently hospitalized after ED visits.

Conclusions: A significant number of patients in the US visited the ED with oral candidiasis in the year 2007.